North Vancouver’s Capilano University is preparing for their fifth 5 Days for the Homeless

Capilano University students and faculty are getting ready for their annual participation in 5 Days for the Homeless. 5 Days for the Homeless was founded by the University of Alberta and aims to raise awareness of homelessness and donations for local shelters. Capilano University has been taking part since 2007.

The campaign will have eight students and faculty from various programs raising awareness through experiencing 5 days of “homelessness” on Capilano University’s campus. For many, the experience of being homeless is a daily reality. For the volunteers, it will only be five days. In that time they must remain on campus, have no income, and have no food or drinks (aside from donations). There are many more rules that go along with the campaign; the motivation is to understand the hardship that the North Shore homeless face every day.

Last year the campaign raised over $4,000. This year, their goal is $7,500. Students and faculty will be taking shelter in Capilano University’s campus starting on March 10. The campaign will also host a variety of supplementary events throughout the week including a speaker series, film screenings, and other activities to engage the campus community on the topic of homelessness particularly in youth on the North Shore and Vancouver. Their will also be a concert fundraiser to kick off the campaign featuring an assortment of Vancouver talent on March 7.